Just Give Me A Reason
by eruditeshadowhunter
Summary: Continues on from 10x12. The aftermath of April's choice. With a few surprises and familiar faces along the way.
1. Chapter 1

**A/M: This is basically my continuation of how I'd like season 10 to go. Japril obviously. No beta, sorry :( **

**Please Review? **

_Do you? _

Jackson's words replayed and replayed in her head, as if she were standing there for a century as opposed to a few seconds. She blinked. When the bus had exploded she had cried and screamed, she had tried to run after him, she couldn't ever imagine a life without him. In that moment she remembered everything, it was like what happened when your life flashed before your eyes, she remembered first meeting Jackson at Mercy West, her reaction to finding out that he was an Avery, the merger, the shooting, the boards. After the grief came the anger. She had pounded against his chest and screamed at him. How dare he? How dare he almost get himself killed? She had done all of this in front of her fiancé, she hadn't realized until afterwards that he had held her back and that he had seen her reaction to Jackson's almost death. She had told him she wanted him, that she loved him and begged him to give her a reason not to marry the man that stood alongside her, hurt and anger evident on his face.

"Jackson.." she started as she looked over at the sea of faces, her sisters and parents wore faces masked in shock, none of them could believe what had just happened. Who would've thought that April would be the Kepner with the scandalous wedding? Her friends faces varied from disbelief to expressions that proved that they had expected it.

"Do you, April?" he asked again. His voice shook. Crashing a wedding was not something he had ever planned to do in his lifetime, it was quite "unbecoming of an Avery".' If Catherine Avery were here now, she'd slap him. He was afraid, afraid of what her answer would be, afraid of how he would go on if she went through with this wedding, afraid of facing everyone at work tomorrow, afraid of facing Stephanie. His worst fear was that tomorrow she'd become Mrs April Taylor.

"You asked for a reason and now I'm giving you one," he whispered. Matthew looked over at April, he clearly wasn't aware that this had happened. They had agreed to keep certain things just between the two of them, that and the adrenaline induced sex were two of them.

She had tried so hard to be the person she had planned for herself to become. The person who got married with their virginity intact, not the person who lost it due to an adrenaline rush. A lot had happened and changed. Jackson had happened. She had changed. She looked from Matthew to Jackson. Matthew was the boy she had always envisioned for herself, kind, perfect, he respected her beliefs, they both grew up similarly, affluent but not rich. Jackson on the other hand was a rollercoaster of emotions, he was rich and an Avery, perfect in ways April was not.

April shook her head,

"I- I need a moment," she whispered as she stepped off the podium and left through the barn doors, back to the room. If she said anything now it would be said on impulse, God knew she would start rambling and all would fall to shambles.

Jackson watched April retreat through the doors, her heels clicking on the floor. He knew she'd be back, she ran from conflict but she was also April Kepner. She wouldn't leave a room full of people that had travelled from as far as Moline for her wedding. The doors banged shut behind her and all eyes were fixated on him. He had just ruined what was supposed to be a perfect day. Matthew glared at him with an anger so intense he flinched, he didn't need to look to know that Stephanie wore the same expression.

The barn was eerily quiet as he sat back down, as far away from Stephanie as possible. No one said a word. Not even Yang had an inappropriate quip. Jackson had nowhere to look but down. He didn't know why he had gotten himself into this mess but he immediately knew that Mark would be immensely proud of him. It had taken a few years but he had finally followed his mentor's advice,

_If you love someone you tell them, even if you're scared that it's not the right thing. Even if you're scared it'll cause problems. Even if you're scared it'll burn your life to the ground. You say it. You say it loud_

He didn't want to wait any longer with April, working at a hospital formerly known as 'Seattle Grace Mercy Death' he didn't want to take any chances. Mark told Lexie he was in love with her a few moments before she died, trapped under the back of a plane. What the hell were the odds? He knew that after this nothing would be the same again. He looked up when Arizona's heels clicked across the floor and she too disappeared out the door. He hadn't even realized that Robbins and April were close, it proved just how little he knew about what was going on in her life right now. He fiddled with his fingers nervously. If April wanted Matthew everything in life would break, he didn't think he could love someone else as much as he loved April Kepner.

Arizona softly knocked on the door to April's room. April had dealt with her Callie crap on her wedding day for Gods sake, Arizona couldn't just leave her. "April, it's Arizona," she said loud enough so that April could hear her. Arizona got no reply and stood outside the door for a few moments, she was about to knock again when the locked clicked and the door swung open.

April sat on the bed, she wasn't crying, she just looked as if she'd fought and barely survived two wars. Her eyes were sunken in, she was as white as a ghost and her hands shook as she fiddled with her wedding ring on her finger. She didn't even look up at Arizona.

"I'm not going to do it, I cant" she whispered, she touched her face, a nervous tick. "I can't choose"

"Sweetie," Arizona said as she sat down alongside the red head. She had learnt enough when it came to love due to her failed marriage and affair. You didn't leave things to chance, if you loved someone, you told them. If you didn't, you told them that too. "You have to listen to your heart, there are two men out there who love you so much and if you don't choose one you'll lose them both. Jackson is not going to wait around forever and Matthew will not forgive again and again." She said her words as gently as possible, squeezing April's arm. April sounded on the verge of tears. She was not going to cry, not again. Everyone had expected her to run today or to break, well it seemed as if both of Yang's innermost wishes.

"I've hurt them both so many times, I've done stupid things like sleep with Jackson, not once but many times. In an on call room for Gods sake? Who even does that? I chased after him when he almost died in front of my fiancé? How the- Why was I so stupid? I hurt people that loved me, everything I did to Jackson.." she trailed off when she realized how many times she had mentioned Jackson, she looked at Arizona who smiled gently at her and nodded. April gasped and looked down at her wedding dress that had taken hours to pick out, looked at her nails that had taken forever to get done, her hair that had been a hot mess before it had been perfectly styled. So much had gone into this wedding to make it perfect. And now she was throwing it all away. She knew that Libby, Kimmie and Alice would talk to her again but she wasn't so sure about her parents. They were so set in their ways. Arizona got up and gave April a small smile, no words were spoken but Arizona silently wished her luck. A few moments later April slipped the ring off her finger, unpinned her hair and left the room.

When the door opened for the second time, everyone in the barn froze. April entered looking more harried than she had before, if that was even possible. She had put her hair down and looked dishevelled. All eyes were on her as she walked into the church, Meredith looked apprehensive, Cristina and Alex looked as if they'd seen enough of crazy weddings, what with Izzie and Burke, Bailey looked as if she needed a nap and April and Matthew's families looked at her as if she were the biggest slut on the block, she almost crumbled under their stares. April knew that her parents would never look at her the same again, they looked disappointed, as if they'd expected more from their studious daughter. Stephanie glared at her angrily, she had always been the reason Jackson and Stephanie never had the best relationship, she didn't even know why she had invited the intern. Personally, she found her annoying and much rather preferred Wilson on her service. Yet there Stephanie sat, burning holes into April with her dark eyes.

April walked up onto the podium and smiled sadly at everyone, she tried to lock eyes with her father but he looked away and shook his head. What was he angry at her for? Had Kimmie told him she wasn't a virgin? Had he figured out that she'd been sleeping around with a man she wasn't even dating? Did he know that she had been declaring her love for another man while she was engaged? April almost backed out, she almost wished that Jackson's declaration hadn't happened because it was making things extremely difficult.

"Matthew.." she started as she reached for his hand and pressed the ring she had hidden in her palm into his. He froze as his fingers curled over the ring, he blinked.

"I'm sorry, Matthew," an audible gasp was heard around the church, she didn't want to look back, didn't want to see her family's faces, didn't want to read the disappointment in Mrs Taylor's eyes. Matthew shook his head as he looked over at Jackson with hatred in his eyes, Jackson froze under Matthew's stare. Did April just..

"I hope you're happy, April," it sounded more like a curse than a wish, Matthew stepped off the podium and stormed out of the church. Jackson followed his retreating figure with his eyes. His heart was pounding erratically in his chest, he stood up carefully, he could feel Stephanie's eyes on his back as well as all her little intern friends, Wilson, Ross, Murphy..

"I'm sorry everyone this just didn't work out and- I'm sorry." Jackson walked towards April and winced, he was afraid she wanted nothing to do with him. April reacted to things differently than many other people did, her refusing to marry Matthew didn't mean she wanted him. That was one of the things he loved about her, the fact that there was never a dull moment, but right now he really wished there was.

April stepped down and put her palms against his chest, half seeking comfort and half seeking a place to hide. She was April Kepner. She didn't do these things, no man had ever found her attractive until Jackson and Matthew, she was "duckie", she wasn't a bombshell and she did not play men like toys and run off from the altar. Jackson carefully wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, he could feel everyone judging. She shut her eyes, she didn't want to see her parents or her sisters. Her co workers weren't so bad, sure Yang and Karev would make fun of her forever but half the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial had done worse things.

"Please," April begged, locking her fingers around his shirt, "Get me out of here."

Jackson froze, he didn't have his car, he had come with Stephanie and there was no way she was transporting a runaway bride, especially not one that had stolen her boyfriend.

Arizona walked over and pressed her keys into Jackson's hand, "Take my car," she mouthed, she walked past April's dad and smiled. Mr Kepner stared at her grimly. It seemed that as far as he was concerned, anyone connected to the hospital or Jackson for that matter was just as bad as the next.

Jackson turned and hastily walked out the barn, today had been a mess. A mess in many ways for many people. But Jackson hoped that by some miracle, he and April would be just fine.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Greys Anatomy or any recognizable characters they all are property of the amazing Shonda Rhimes and ABC. I take no credit whatsoever for recognizable storylines. All credit to ABC! **

**A/N: Thank you to all those that reviewed the first chapter. I really appreciate it! This picks up right where the last chapter ended. I decided to focus a lot on April's internal guilt. As we all know no matter what happens on February 27 April is going to be feeling VERY guilty, so forgive me if I do dwell on that a lot! I'm trying to stay as true to the characters as possible **

**Chapter 2**

"I don't know what's worse, the fact that I left Matthew at the altar and left with another man or the fact that I went full steam ahead with the wedding knowing that I didn't feel the same!"

April had been rambling at top speed since leaving the barn. She fiddled with her fingers and tapped them against the dashboard. She wasn't crying but she looked close.

Jackson and April had been the first to leave the barn, they weren't sure if people would end up going to the reception, probably not since there was nothing more awkward than April and Matthew's families staring at each other over a glass of Chardonnay. The rest of the doctors would probably go to get drunk.

"April-" Jackson started trying to get a word in for the umpteenth time. April was a rambler. When she became nervous or afraid she started talking at top speed her voice going several octaves higher than usual. It was hard to get a word in edgewise.

"NO. Jackson. We are horrible people! No you aren't but I am and my parents will never speak to me again, and the hospital Oh My God going back there and seeing Stephanie I don't think I'll be able to.." Jackson frowned and pulled off on the side of the road. April was going to talk herself into more of a frenzy if he didn't intervene.

April stared at him blankly. "What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, she looked from his face to her surroundings. They were a few miles from the barn, heading to her shared apartment with Matthew by the looks of it. She stared at him expectantly. When he didn't reply, April tried again,

"Jackson!"

He sighed flexing his fingers as he let go of the steering wheel, "You need to calm down, you didn't do anything wrong," he whispered, his blue-green eyes stared into hers. Pleading with her. He knew he wasn't just dealing with anyone, he was dealing with April Kepner. And April Kepner had a tendency to freak out, a lot. She handled things differently than anyone else did.

He remembered a time at Mercy West when she had been chosen to do the intern appendectomy, she had stayed up all night studying and reviewing everything that could possibly go wrong and creating a list of solutions for them. She then proceeded to have a meltdown in the locker room before the surgery, which had gone off without a hitch. Many people would laugh at her crazy need to be perfect, but that was April Kepner. Back then, Jackson hadn't known her well, or at all. She was just the quiet girl in his intern group, the first to find out about his royal surgical blood line and actually keep quiet about it all the way to Grey Sloan Memorial.

Never did he think that she'd be the woman he'd confess his love for.

"DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG?!" April yelled, tears started falling out of her eyes, dotting her white wedding the dress with tear spots on the lace. Crying felt good. She had tried to separate herself from sadness ever since the bus exploded. The day Jackson had rejected her. "I left a man at the altar, a man I'll have to see every day since I chose to be a trauma surgeon! There's no avoiding Matthew in the ER, Jackson and-"April buried her face in her legs, sobbing uncontrollably. Jackson rested his hand on her back, trying to sooth her. He knew that if she kept it all in she'd burst at an inappropriate moment, she couldn't go back to work without this. "April," Jackson whispered, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her up so that she looked at him. Her make-up was a mess. Her mascara had run all the way down her face and her lipstick was smudged. Jackson still thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

April's breathing was laboured as she blinked tear, after tear out of her eyes, "Whatever happened back there wasn't your fault," Jackson started using his other hand to wipe tears off her face, and they continued flowing in rivulets. "It was mine. I was too stupid and caught up in my own crap to realize back then that I loved you. I could have avoided all of this, but April, I couldn't let you marry him and live the rest of my life knowing that I let you slip through my fingers. I realize that I chose the worst place to do it," Jackson looked down and couldn't keep the smirk off his face. April giggled. Despite it all the look on her sister's faces had been priceless, they probably couldn't believe that their ugly duckling of a sister had a love life more complicated than theirs.

"I don't regret it," Jackson continued, "What I regret is what I put you through, all of this, and you didn't deserve any of this, April. But I love you and I'm not sorry that I do," April blinked, no one had ever said something like this to her before. Sure Matthew had orchestrated a cheesy proposal she couldn't say No to, but this was different, it was more personal. Before she knew what she was doing she kissed him. And he kissed her back, in a way only he could. When Matthew kissed her she didn't feel anything near what she felt when Jackson did. She didn't know why she had spent so much time convincing herself that Matthew was the guy for her. Matthew was the perfect guy who she had created in her head when she was 13 years old. Jackson on the other hand was the guy she saw popular girls with, rich and way, way out of her league. When they pulled away April gasped, it felt so, so good to kiss him again. She knew that whenever she kissed Matthew she had this image of Jackson in her head, an image that would never go away no matter how much she willed for it to. She reached for his face and traced his features, she smiled, "I love you." She whispered. It felt so right to say it. She wished she'd woken up sooner. She wished she'd realized that Jackson was the one for her.

"I love you too," he replied, "Always have,"

They stared at each other for a few moments, this was different. There was no sneaking off to on call rooms to have sex, no lustful looks in the hallways and no arguing about keeping everything void of feelings. The rain fell outside, decorating the windows with raindrops. April loved the sound of the rain right now, it was a fresh start. April was probably the scandal of her family, her parents were probably on their way back to Moline, discussing how she had embarrassed them by having feelings for another man and then running off from her wedding with him but in turn she was happy. She was with the man of her dreams, someone who didn't see her as "Duckie".

April sighed, they could sit here in this moment and forget that the world was continuing around them. They could forget that Stephanie was fuming right now, Matthew was cut up, her family was outraged and that they had just created something for the hospital to gossip about. But they couldn't. Jackson seemed to be thinking the same thing as he said,

"So what now?"

April bit her lip, "I need to get out of this dress," she mused, fiddling with the pretty material.

It was a gorgeous dress. The dress she dreamed she'd marry Jackson in, as well as the "Mint to be" mints and butterflies in the boxes. Everything was done as she'd wanted it when she and Jackson were going to get married. She couldn't believe how he must've felt when he saw that. "But all my clothes are at Matthew's place, speaking of which I need to get all my things from there…" she trailed off. Trying to figure out how that was going to happen. She obviously couldn't get the things out on her own. She'd need Jackson's help. Jackson bit his lip, "Are you sure you want to go now?" he asked uncertainly, "Oh my God, no!" April exclaimed shaking her head, she didn't even want to begin to imagine the scene that would unfold if she pitched up at Matthew's apartment, wearing a wedding dress and Jackson on her arm demanding her belongings. "That'll be like rubbing it in Matthew's face," she said. Jackson nodded, "Like my name on a list" he asked, smirking. April shoved him playfully,

"Har har."

The entire wedding had really brought out the neurotic side in her. She had issues with Jackson's name for Gods sake. "Where's the rest of your clothes? Your apartment?" April frowned, "I've rented it. But I've got a spare set in my cubby?" The attending's lounge meant the hospital and the hospital meant facing people she was trying to avoid. Like Stephanie.

"I'll get the clothes," Jackson offered, knowing exactly where this was going, April shook her head, she wasn't letting Jackson walk into that hospital and get stared at as he walked through the lobby. It was her people were supposed to be doing that to, she was the whore.

"No." she said , shaking her head, "I'll get them." Jackson started the car and looked at her worriedly, he didn't want April to break into pieces at the hospital. Nor did he want Stephanie to get at her. April caught his look and frowned,

"Jackson." She touched his arm, "It'll be fine, I'll just get the clothes and come back," she gave him a faint smile as they pulled into the parking spaces at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. April pushed open the door and dragged her heavy wedding dress across the damp ground, thank God she hadn't hired this.

When April entered the lobby, as expected, everyone stared. It wasn't everyday that a runaway bride marched through the hospital looking like one of hells denizens. She tried to get to the attending's lounge as quickly as possible without running into any of those interns and God forbid residents. She thought she was in the clear, until Cristina spotted her.

Yang smirked as she handed the medical instruments to an intern and sauntered over to April, "So how's my favourite scandalous un-virgin Mary?" she punched April in the arm playfully, "Never thought you had it in you, Kepner," April shook her head, "Not now, Cristina," she pushed open the door of the lounge and walked towards where her clothes were, "Where did Edwards go?" April looks over at Cristina who seemed to be watching her in amusement. This question made Cristina laugh,

"Oh she ran out of that barn in tears, you did good, Kepner," April spun around, her jeans and grey long sleeved T-shirt in her hands, "I did not 'do good' ! I was selfish!" she yelled at the cardiothoracic surgeon. What she did WAS selfish. She couldn't believe she had it in her.

People would no longer see her as the Jesus-loving trauma surgeon who prayed for her patients and failed her boards because she gave her best friend her V-Card. Instead, she was now the slutty attending who played two guys and left the one at the altar. She'd probably get some nickname like Bailey who had been "The Nazi"( and now bore the name "BCB" for very unflattering reasons) or Meredith who the interns had nicknamed Medusa. Yang bit her lip, she knew a lot about being selfish. Ever since med school she'd been selfish. Sleeping with the teachers, manipulating classmates, stealing surgeries as an intern, all of these were acts of something who cared about no one but themselves. That was exactly why she was so successful, exactly the reason why she was in contention for the Harper Avery Award. She was selfish.

Kepner on the other hand, Cristina thought, looking at the stressed out attending who was now stripping out of the wedding dress and slipping on her jeans, Cristina's presence forgotten, was a girl with little backbone. She let interns and patients walk all over her, she was the one who never talked back to attendings. When she was Chief Resident they had all made a total ass of her.

Cristina sighed, "Are you happy?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe. April looked up in confusion, the cardio surgeon wasn't one for talking. She blew her hair out of her face. "What?" she asked, pausing in the middle of turning her T-shirt the right side out. "Are. You. Happy?" Cristina asked again, her face fathomless.

"Y-yes, I think but-"

"Then it's okay to be selfish." Cristina interrupted simply. She checked her watch and decided that she had left that idiot intern alone with that patient long enough. Cristina nodded at April and walked away, leaving the red head gaping in her path.

April stared after Cristina. She hadn't really thought about her own happiness. It had always been about Matthew or Jackson or what her friends wanted or what her family expected. With Matthew she had been too busy trying to make the relationship perfect to actually enjoy it, she was too focused on feeling the fire she had felt with Jackson. When she had been with Jackson on the other hand, she was too busy dealing with not being a virgin anymore. But she had felt something, something she'd never felt before.

April picked up her wedding dress and slung it over her arm, she wasn't going to focus on being happy now. She was just going to take what came.

When April got back to Jackson waiting in his own car, he had parked Arizona's and handed her keys in at the front desk, her hair was a bit damp from the rain that had started falling. She threw her wedding dress onto the backseat and climbed in, she smiled at Jackson as he started the car, "Where are we going to hide until tomorrow?" she asked grabbing his free hand. "My place?" Jackson suggested.

April nodded, his place wasn't ideal, Karev stayed there too and she had up until a point. God only knew that she was going to be the butt end of all his inappropriate jokes.

When they arrived at Jacskon's apartment, Karev wasn't there. She wasn't sure about the whereabouts of the rest of the doctor's at Grey Sloan Memorial. April sat on the couch, her wedding dress slung across her knees. It was a gorgeous dress. It didn't deserve to be buried at the back of a closet because it was owned by a tart. She couldn't imagine what Stephanie was going through right now. She wouldn't just be heartbroken, she'd be embarrassed too. Her boyfriend had just left her for a girl he had promised her that he had gotten over. It was a horrible, horrible thing to do.

Jackson was out putting the car away when his phone rang. April stared at it for a few moments before reaching over and answering it without looking at the caller ID. It wouldn't be Edwards she was damn near killing Jackson nor would it be anyone from the hospital, it was probably someone looking for a consult.

"Jackson Avery's phone?" she answered, toying with the seam on her wedding dress.

"April. Just the person I was looking for.." came Catherine Avery's smooth voice on the other side of the line. April had to suppress a gasp.

_Shit. _

**A/N: I'm really not happy how this chapter was done. I had a vision that kind of fell flat but oh well, I hope you all enjoyed it I couldn't resist bringing in Catherine Avery, I've always liked her. **

**Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am so so sorry for the long wait! School just started and it's been hell settling in and the homework load has been crazy, I'm doing two plays as well, so most of my free time is spent there! Many apologies! **

**Hope you all like it!**

'Dr- Dr Avery," April stuttered almost dropping Jackson's phone. She knew that there was only one reason Catherine was calling. April stood up and slid the wedding dress off her legs. Catherine Avery was a meddler. She had tried to get someone for April to sleep with whenever she visited and was a constant in Jackson's love life. She wasn't going to just let this slide and move on since she wasn't even aware of the fact that April and Jackson had a relationship that was not at all platonic.

"How have you been?" she said nervously. She knew that Jackson's mother was not calling to exchange pleasantries. Catherine laughed humourlessly on the other side of the line.

"We both know that is not why I'm calling, April,"

"Uhm-" April squeaked as Jackson entered. He stared at her in confusion, she locked eyes with him gratefully.

_Your mother_

She mouthed the words at him and Jackson looked shocked for a moment before slightly annoyed. He motioned for the phone and April passed it to him.

"Mom, stop." He said before Catherine could say anything else,

"Jackson Avery, I did not raise you to crash a girl's wedding!"

Jackson sighed, he looked at April who was watching him with wide eyes. If Catherine Avery didn't like you your life could be hell. Despite their former Facebook friendship and Catherine continually providing men to "deflower" her, April was always nervous around her. She was one of the best urologists in the country. She was an Avery.

"Mom-" he tried again but Catherine wasn't giving him a chance to get a word in edgewise.

"April is such a sweet girl and – How long has this been going on?"

his mother asked , her voice sounded irritated at the fact that she, Catherine Avery, meddler extraordinaire had missed this very vital piece of information.

"How long as this been going on?" Jackson repeated slowly and looked over at April, she shook her head, waving her hands erratically. There was no way he was telling his mother about San Francisco. Catherine Avery need not know a few things and the sex in a bathroom a few meters away from the room she was in was definitely one of them.  
"Mom now is really not the time for-"

'Jackson!" she reprimanded. Before he had refused the position at Mass Gen. Jackson had been the golden boy of the family. He achieved amazing results, barely got into trouble and had a bright future in mind. She didn't ever imagine that he we would do something like this, "I can't believe you Jackson, I'm coming over there."

Jackson froze. The last person he needed to see right now was his mother, "Mom, that's not necessary you don't have to-" but Catherine had already hanged up. Jackson cursed under his breath. His mother would be the last thing they needed right now. Catherine Avery would just end up stirring the pot even more.

He shut off his phone and looked up at April, "She's coming here isn't she?" April asked reading the expression on Jackson's face.

Jackson frowned, "She's nosey, of course she is."

April shook her head. Shit, shit, shit. Catherine wasn't going to go easy on either of them. They had kept all of this drama from her, shoving Stephanie into her face all this time. "Damn."

April said shaking her head, Catherine would end up coming to the hospital and that meant everyone would know exactly why the famous Avery was there, since no broken penises in need of reconstruction had flowed through during the past few days. Catherine Avery was intimidating. April had remembered the first time she had met Catherine, as a resident, back at Mercy West..

"_Your mother?"_

_ April asked trying to keep the interest out of her voice. Jackson hated when she did that. April shut the charts she was filling in and turned to face Jackson. He didn't miss the peak in her voice nor the excitement in her eyes. _

_He frowned, "Don't do that. " he said following her over to the nurse's station. _

_"I'm sorry! It's just.. she's CATHERINE AVERY. I read about your mother's work with penises Jackson, she is ama-" _

_Jackson held up a hand._

_ "Please don't use the words "penis" and "your mother" in the same sentence. " _

_April rolled her eyes playfully. She wasn't best friends with Jackson Avery, yet he confided in her from time to time, since she was the only one who knew about his royal surgical blood line and in turn he was the only one who knew about the fact that she had been on financial scholarships all the way through college. She wasn't handpicked because all she had was brains like the rest of her year, she was picked because she had brains and mainly because she couldn't afford anything by herself._

_ "When's she coming?" April asked, sitting on a vacant hospital bed in the clinic. It had been a quiet day, the rest of the residents were scrubbing in on amazing surgeries while she and Jackson were given the oh so wonderful opportunity to stitch cuts and hand out prescriptions for painkillers. She wasn't liked by the rest of the attendings, if anyone at this hospital. Reed was the only true friend she had, Jackson was nice too. She just feared that with the merger things would change. She'd never been good with change, she couldn't imagine losing these people. Her parents were far away in Moline and she was here all alone, they were all she had. _

_"I don't know," Jackson said frowning, "She just said she'd be here soon and knowing my mother that means she's probably just leaving or already here,"_

_ April smirked rested her head in her hands, Jackson sat down next to her, _

_"And your parents?" he asked suddenly, she looked up, he really caught her unawares. She didn't have any stories about arguing at thanksgiving or overbearing parents. Her family was normal, as normal as any farming family would be. Whenever she thought of her family she thought of her dad, she didn't know how she would discuss that one with Jackson. She knew that his dad hadn't been around much or at all, no wonder his mom was so neurotic. _

_Luckily for her and unluckily for him, Catherine Avery in all her glory entered right then. April had to do everything to stop her jaw from crashing to the ground. Catherine's hair was like a flame around her head, brown tendrils curling everywhere. She walked in with such grace and such sheer determination, it seemed as if everyone had stopped to stare. April slipped of the hospital bed as she saw Catherine Avery coming right towards them. A smiled was plastered on her face. Jackson on the other hand was annoyed, he had seen the way his mother had been eyeing April when she had walked through the doors, nor had he missed the excited look on her face. _

_"Jackie!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck. _

_April took this as her cue to leave and gathered the charts. As she made her way out, Jackson's hand grabbed her wrist to stop her. She looked up at him in annoyance and confusion, she didn't do good around people like Catherine Avery, she didn't do good around people in general, but the pleading look in his eyes made her stay. How bad could Catherine Avery be anyway? Catherine released her son and rounded on April_

_ "And who have we here?" she asked, April wished she would just disappear. She had no idea what to do or how to approach this woman. A simple, "Hi, I'm April Kepner" did not seem the correct way to address Dr Catherine Avery. But it was all she could come up with right now, _

_"D-Dr. Avery, I'm.. I'm April-" before she could finish Catherine threw her arms around April's neck and hugged her as she had Jackson. April's eyes widened in panic, this was the last thing she expected the older doctor to do. She expected a few judgemental looks instead. _

_"Mom that's enough," Jackson cut in, Catherine ignored him._

_ "It's a pleasure to meet you, April. Jackson's told me lots about you," she added knowingly, Jackson groaned, April was even more embarrassed. Jackson spoke about her? What did he even have to say? That she was a nervous, babbling, neurotic, virgin Mary? "Do you have a boyfriend, April dear?" Catherine straight out asked. April's eyes had almost popped out of her head. _

That had been the first time she had ever encountered Catherine Avery and her nosiness. She jumped when she felt a hand beneath her chin, Jackson.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, his gorgeous eyes looking into hers tenderly.

"Oh.. No.. Just the first time I met your mother, I'm surprised she took such a.. liking to me so soon,"

Jackson smiled at her softly as she stepped away and walked towards his kitchen. The wedding dress forgotten on the couch. She started rummaging through his refrigerator and cupboards, pulling out pasta and various greens, the lack of order already starting to irk her though she tried to hide it. He should have known.

"What's not to like?" he asked, coming to lean against the counter, fiddling with the pasta she had thrown into a bowl. She slapped his hand away.

"You have to be kidding me right- Hey! Don't touch that!" she grabbed the knife from him as he attempted to help and start chopping the greens.

"It's just cutting April, I'm a surgeon, I'm sure I won't make the kitchen explode," April watched him for a few moments, contemplating. She handed the knife over,

"Well.. it's your kitchen," She'd be damned if she'd let him anywhere near hers. Her stomach twisted as she thought back to her house and Matthew. She shook her head, almost as if to shake out the thoughts. Jackson chuckled as he began helping her. Things were looking up.

April set the pasta on the stove to boil. Jackson had chopped the greens to her approval, surprisingly. It stood in a bowl alongside the pasta to be added later. Jackson cleared his throat, April raised an eyebrow. He always did that when he felt nervous or was about to say something important.

"What?" she asked. Stirring the fettuccini slowly.

"About-" he started as his cell phone, Jackson looked at the caller ID. Hoping it wasn't his mother, calling to complain about being at the hospital and being unable to find him.

He frowned in confusion, "It's Hunt." He answered as he walked into the other room, away from the noise of the stove, to answer.

April bit her lip. Owen was probably disappointed in her, the whole hospital had come to see a scandal like that. She was embarrassed, to say the least. April was about to add the greens to the dish when a quick knock on the door sounded, her eyes widened. Would Jackson's mother come here? But then again, Catherine was not one for knocking, she appeared like a ghost and scared the shit out of you. April turned off the stove and walked over to the door, her feet sinking into the plush carpet. This entire apartment was expensively furnished. She did not want to know how much money Jackson had. The only money she had ever had to her name was the pocket money she got weekly, not a huge trust fund in her name from every member in the family. She unlocked the door and almost jumped back. Stephanie stood outside. Her hair was a mess, her mascara had run and her eyes were puffy from crying. She wore no shoes and seemed to be holding onto the doorframe for support. April's heart pounded in her chest, she saw no car, she had no idea how Stephanie had gotten here.

Before she could say anything, Stephanie had shoved her, her head banged against the glass coffee table, she felt blood trickling into her eyes.

At the sound of the contact Jackson came running in, he gasped when he saw April on the ground, blood all over her face, struggling to get up, he charged towards Stephanie but she already had started down the drive. There was no point in going after her, that was all she came here to do. She damn well was not getting away with it. She was a fresh faced resident, they both could pull rank and get her fired instantly or at least suspended. He ran towards April and helped her into a sitting position. She had both her hands covering the gash at the back of her head, blood seeped into the sleeves of her jacket.

"Are you okay?" he asked, he looked down at her and bent to help her up but she raised her bloody hands. He saw something in her eyes that he hadn't seen before. She looked small and afraid, she didn't look like April anymore. He was worried out of his mind about her. The doctor in him, knew that all her injuries needed were a few stiches, painkillers and an X Ray in case of a concussion but the part of him that loved her, worried that this could be somewhat fatal.

"Just.. just take me to the hospital okay?" she asked, pulling herself up and refusing help when he offered it.

Jackson wanted to cry. This small thing had flipped April's switch, he hated Stephanie right now. Absolutely loathed her. What he hated more was that when she was flung into the coffee table, he hadn't been there to help her.

"Avery what the hell?" came the voice of Dr Bailey as he led April into The ER. She leant against him, he supported most of her body weight, she had protested to this at first, but when she couldn't get up the stairs she had surrendered.

"Edwards." Jackson spat through clenched teeth. He would kill that resident.

Bailey helped April onto a bed and stood behind her head, the shorter doctor's eyes widened. "Kepner, what the hell did Stephanie do?" April sighed, not looking into Jackson's eyes, his shirt was covered with blood, her blood.

"Pushed me into a coffee table,"

April said as nonchalantly as she could, mustering up all the courage not to cry. Bailey gasped,

"And this happened where?!" April sighed and looked away,

"My house," Jackson answered, crossing his arms across his chest and frowning deeply. Bailey looked from April, who was looking around the ER willing her eyes anywhere but Jackson's face, to Avery, who looked like a wreck. She cleared her throat.

"Avery. Go order an X- Ray while I stich this up." Jackson was about to protest when Miranda gave him a look that clearly stated that this was not questionable. Jackson sighed and walked away.

"April." Bailey said gently. She didn't turn her head.

"April, look at me," she tried again. Nothing. Bailey frowned, "KEPNER. TURN YOUR DAMN HEAD AROUND"

April jumped and faced the older doctor. Sure she was an attending now, but Miranda Bailey was not someone you wanted to cross paths with. April looked like a frightened little deer.

"That boy went through hell and back for you, do you know exactly how much damn courage it took for him to stand up in that church?" she asked as she grabbed the suture kit and went to stand behind April beginning to stitch.

"Do you know exactly what it'll be like for you both once everyone gets back? You will not make that boy go through it alone, Catherine Avery will already have his head, and now you want to hand him this as well?" she tightened a stitch,

"I don't care what Edwards did. Nor what she thinks for that matter, you make things right with that boy else you'll lose him forever. " Bailey finished off the last few stitches as April sat in a stunned silence.

It wasn't that what Stephanie had done that had caused this, it was how she had looked. April recognized that look. It was the same look she wore when Jackson had told her that he didn't want her. the same look she had worn when the bus exploded. Pure and utter heartbreak. One by one as the thoughts hit her, her tears fell. Bailey stepped away.

When Jackson entered, she was full on bawling, holding her stomach, ignoring her freshly stitched head. Jackson paused and the doctor who would do her X - Ray, stopped outside the ER, this was personal stuff. April looked up at him and reached out her arms, he all but ran over to her. He pulled her onto his lap and hugged her tightly, she cried like she never had before. He ran his fingers through her red hair, he could still see the bends from the braids she had hastily loosened and tried to flatten out her hair with his fingers, minding her stitches, he hoped it would help her forget. She sat up, her fingers were still on his shoulders though,

"I-in the c-car, I g-g-got a text.. F-from my d-dad,"

Jackson stiffened but did not interrupt her, during their ride here he had figured out that Stephanie had not been the only contributing factor to all of this.

"He i-is disappointed, i-in m-me..I c-can't c-come h-home for Th-thanksgiving"

Thanksgiving was always a big deal to her, her family sometimes had it later to accommodate her schedule. Every year. Expect this one, it seemed. He rubbed her back gently as she collapsed back into him. Bailey stood at the door and watched them, a smile on her face. Kepner and Avery, who would have thought, they were polar opposites. She was glad for them though and she knew she sure as hell was going to give that Edwards hell.

**A/N: Well, there it is. I hope it wasn't too terrible! It was really a toss up for me if April would have THE conversation with Catherine on the phone or in person, eventually I decided it would be better in person, it adds suspense and Catherine will cause a lot more drama, especially regarding Edwards, so sorry if you hoped to get that conversation now! :( I'd like to bring back an old characters as well, later on, just so that the story won't be too one dimensional. The main focus will always be Japril though. Please let me know who you'd like to see back at Grey Sloan, it'll be a fun side story to add :) Oh, please Review :) Again, apologies for the long wait! **


End file.
